NREL/DOE Launch New Alternative Transportation Web Tools

November 9, 2012

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
has launched a new tool and redesigned DOE’s Alternative Fuels Data Center Web site
to help fleet managers, municipalities and consumers choose from a wide variety of
alternative fuels and energy efficiency strategies for reducing petroleum use, vehicle
emissions, and operating costs.

The AFDC’s new Petroleum Reduction Planning Tool is an interactive Web application that allows fleet managers to evaluate the benefits
associated with five alternative fuels – biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, natural
gas and propane – along with a variety of efficiency measures, such as idle reduction
and fuel economy improvements.

“Fleets across the country are trying to reduce their vulnerability to spikes in oil
prices and are finding themselves increasingly subject to greenhouse gas emissions
limitations at the federal, state and local levels,” NREL Project Manager Witt Sparks
said. “This tool provides valuable information on a variety of strategies that can
help them reach their desired and even required outcomes. From a single web page,
a fleet manager can explore multiple strategies and know what the energy and environmental
impacts will likely be before making any substantial investments.”

Users of the Petroleum Reduction Planning Tool can also explore options for fleet
improvements by creating “what-if” scenarios based on solid data. For example:

“What if I replace 10 of my sedans with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles?”

“What if I start using B20 biodiesel in my heavy-duty trucks?”

“What if I convert my pickup trucks to run on natural gas or propane?”

Once a user or fleet manager establishes a set of measurable objectives to meet their
desired goals, he or she can save the plan, make adjustments as needed or continue
to investigate different scenarios. Easy-to-read charts and tables display annual
reductions in emissions, petroleum use and fuel costs. Additionally, each section
of the tool links to educational resources that provide background information on
each efficiency strategy and alternative fuel.

The redesigned Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) is recognized as the go-to source for sustainable transportation decision-makers.
It provides a vast collection of information, data and tools that facilitate the deployment
of alternative fuels, advanced vehicles and fuel economy improvements. The AFDC is
part of a suite of resources provided by the Energy Department’s Clean Cities program,
an initiative to reduce petroleum use in transportation through local public-private
partnerships.

Among the features on the new site is a large library of maps and data, which users can view and customize through interactive charts and graphics. Featured
data sets cover a wide range of transportation topics, including alternative fuel
use trends, driving habits, hybrid vehicle availability, biofuels production, transportation
regulations and incentives and vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the AFDC’s most popular tools is the updated Alternative Fueling Station Locator. This application allows drivers and fleet managers to find stations that offer electric
vehicle charging, E85, biodiesel, natural gas, propane and hydrogen. Users can sort
by fuel type, find all stations near a given location, or map a route with stations
identified along the way. The tool also identifies the number of available stations
by state and technology across the nation. As part of the tool’s new design, users
can now easily embed the Station Locator into their own websites. Once embedded on
another site, the tool will continue to access and display the most current station
location data available on the AFDC.

In addition to tools and data, the AFDC also features a large collection of case studies in alternative transportation deployment, in both written and video formats.

“These stories serve as road maps for fleets and drivers, so they can learn how others
overcame barriers and found success,” AFDC Manager Trish Cozart said. “Users can find
real-life examples of fleets that run on biodiesel, cities that have developed electric
vehicle charging infrastructure, and school districts that power their buses with
propane.”

Clean Cities is the deployment arm of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies
Program. Through the work of nearly 100 local coalitions, Clean Cities brings together
stakeholders in the public and private sectors to deploy alternative and renewable
fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, and emerging sustainable
transportation technologies.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable
energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by
The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.